The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-03-26

eating committee. III was noticed that Chair
man Lewis wore a peculiar "now.or.never''
look, while Norton was defiant and Fisher
fierce.
The clerk read petition from Jennie r.
Maeder, assignee Of VIM. G. Moore Of note
for S. 900 against La Sale county, signed
by +. c. Lewis, chairman of the board, on
which interest is due since January |, 1886,
and she wanted the interest.
Lewis explained that this note was not
mentioned in the report of The majority Of
the county bond committee, but was indica.
ted in his minority report. He stated that
there is another s., 900 note out, besides one
for 81 900, signed by him last July.
Norton "Did the county have the bene-
fit Of the 81 900 note of July last ~
{ Lewis: II don't know
Norton The books don't show that il
T has ever been entered on the treasurer's
books"
, Fisher wanted it to go to the committee to
settle with county officers.
T Norton preferred the finance committee;
also, that the two other notes go to the same
!, committee.
!, Fades: "These notes are all that are sup.
posed to be out. The treasurer hasn't reported
these notes. 1t was stated that 81 900 Of
this sum never was paid into the treasury.
That's why we reported the names Of such as
we thought ought to be paid, so as to cut off
such as hadn't been paid to the treasury. II
was claimed that during the life Of this board
we should pay all legal notes out" He
thought lit should 60 TO the present CON-
, mttee of investigation
, Fisher thought so too. 1.-The treasurer re-
, ported certain notes out at last settlement,
but others have turned up. The investiga-
ton committee know more about it than any
member Of the board. We were told We owed
, SIS OOO This committee have spent three
r months to find what we owed The treasurer
then said we owed S59, 900, and interest.
2 We have paid them several hundred dollars
3 to look up this subject, and they are sup
posed to be posted Besides, have never
S seen correct report from the finance com
mittee. They have always reported bal
: ance, but did not know where it came from"
Lewis called Mcintyre to the chair. Lewis
said: This is matter in which have been
e assailed by the public press. signed those
t notes Everyone asks why didn't sign the
4 majority report? didn't sign it because it
s wasn't true. 1t was we'll known then it
Z wasn't correct. fought Hoffman on it. He
e was sick and couldn't appear. That note
e was not in the majority report. If there is
s any attempt of reputation Though the Dor
e rowing of the money was not strictly legal,)
e vet it is a question of honor. l will fight
t alone and 60 down, if need be, with what
3 ever odium there may be attached to 1t.
$ want to pay every honest debt the county
). owes. 1t is not question Of the treasurer g
z mistake, but how much do we owe? | am
e Informed that this note has never been
a passed to the credit of the county. | sup
/. posed it was merely a failure to transfer it.
! This county owed 500 900 at First National
/ Bank of Ottawa, also $40, 600 county orders
at the bank of Mendoza. We owed $4,000
Y to the City National Bank of Ottawa Mr..
Raymond thought it was So, 500, and Allen
a wanted to be paid out of first tax levy.
/ told Raymond if we paid Allen we must pay
e Bowen. That made S65, 600, so he Ray
: mond) said we couldn't run the county
: without borrowing more. | know nothing
n of this, except in July the s 900 note was
0 signed by me. A man named Woodlock Of
4 fered to lend 81 400 to the county. Don't
o know if he paid the money or not The
y Woodlock note was on the statement, but
1 not the Moore note | have no doubt Wood
|. lock paid the money. Raymond's bondsmen
. must pay this 81 900, and they will and are
/ willing. | signed the note under instruc-
lions Of the board and don't think it honor
n able in the board to repudiate it. AS to
e minors money, Martin Flaherty deposited
f money in the treasurers office for heirs.
. Raymond paid that money out for the
county's business. and he must be author
. lied to pay it to the minors from the general
fund. want the people to know if the
l. county will repudiate or not The commit
tee of investigation are about ready to re-
port There is no reason why they should
take this extra load they have enough now.
: AS to integrity of my conduct in this, I
! challenge any one to question me. trusted
Raymond and Hoffman implicitly, thought
the note signed was the renewal of the
s Woodlock note. | have no respect for ques-
7 tions of legality here it is debt of honor"
0 Fischer: Lewis attacks the integrity of
e the majority of the committee"
5 Lewis: ''lf he says so, he says what !
did not say
: Fischer: "The first word you said was
that the report Of the majority was not true
J Lewis: eyes, that's true"
e Fischer said the committee had decided
not to do anything about these bonds until
| we learned how many and what amounts
were out. We sent Reed down to Hotfmans
D for the books; he sent us to Raymond; Ray
|
sent up that report, and we published it,
We were guilty of no lie; we published
? what he gave us. He said s. 1000 was the
u. amount. He said an old building committee
E order was out which had not been included
, in his report. We published what was given
f u.s. The county treasurer and chairman
, published a different report. In reply we
t asked the treasurer, "Why did you sign
t that first report" lie said: 81 couldn't
} help it; you must consider my condition"
He said: "You know | have been long ac-
quanted with Mr.. Lewis" Raymond
f thought the debt to the bank was more than
: it was. Fischer criticised the way of keep
ing books. lie said he didn't charge Lewis
with intentional rong.doing, but he has
been made q tool Of by some one. He
f understood Lewis took Woodlock to the
: treasurer's office and borrowed $1,000.
} Woodlock holds note, and La Sale county
, is responsible for its payment. Fischer said
he would be the last man to repudiate, but
: didn't want new committee to settle. Let
, the present committee look into it. If We
GOT tbe money. nav it: if not, not. The